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View Full Version : AAR Vickers Tactical 1911 Operator - 26 & 27 Aug 2011 - Okanogan WA



Scimitar2
09-01-11, 02:19
It has been almost a week since LAV made his open enrollment premier in Washington State and I am just getting caught up on things.

On the 26th and 27th of August, the Okanogan County Sheriff's Office hosted Vickers Tactical for the 1911 Operator course.

There were 13 students actually shooting the course. Additionally, I was out there most of the time as the course host / coordinator (with the exception of the afternoon of day 1 when I had to go to work). Unfortunately, one of the students (a local Deputy Sheriff) had to leave halfway through the morning of day two to go to work and was not able to return in time for anymore of the instruction.

The students were a mix of LE, former military, civilian firearms instructors, the Hill brothers of Hill People Gear and an average joe or two.

I would say the overall weapon handling skills demonstrated in this class was above average (I never saw anything that even approached an unsafe situation) and the camaraderie was the best I have ever seen in a class.

Day 1 started out at about 0830 with a quick welcome and orientation to the course expectations from Larry and an administrative safety brief from me.

After a few minutes in the classroom, we broke out and went to the range.

The morning of day 1 was spent on the range going over a variety of drills and specifically how to efficiently perform them with a 1911 handgun.

From the first round down range to the last, Larry's focus on accuracy never wavered. Nobody was ever rewarded for trying to get off a quick round that missed rather then taking the additional time to make sure you are getting the hits.

Larry ran the students through drills that can be performed when the class is over and we are back on our home range to improve accuracy.

I am being intentionally vague about the drills because they are Larry's drills and quite frankly, learning them alone is worth the cost of admission to the class.

As the morning continued on, the temperature heated up. All weekend it was hot on the range and making sure the coolers were stocked with ice, water and Gatorade soon became a priority.

At about noon, we broke for a lunch catered by a local bakery.

We arrived in the classroom only to find that there was no water pressure. This would eventually fixed in the afternoon, but it was a bit of a scramble to get some porta-potties brought out to use until the water was restored.

That afternoon I had to work, so you will have to hear about it from someone else.

Day 2 was mostly spent in the (thankfully air conditioned) classroom. The day was spent with detail stripping the handgun, explanations on how the different parts work together, what common issues are present in 1911's and how to fix them. Larry took at least SOME part of almost everyone's pistol to the grinder in order to fix the deficiencies in the pistols as they came from the factory.

The course ended back on the range with a practical exercise going over Larry's test fire procedures.

In addition to the drills and exercises presented in the class, there was a wealth of information from Larry on what does and does not work in a variety of firearms, historical firearms trivia and generally being a walking and talking encyclopedia of firearms information. He answered questions in a direct manner and is a HILARIOUS man to be around. Thick skin is required to be in his classes.

This was a great class to be a part of (although I did not get to shoot it and missed some of it while at work) and I feel confident in saying that Larry's reputation as one of the great trainers of our time is well earned.

I am still sorting through the pics I took, I will try to get some posted shortly.

the judge
09-01-11, 12:28
Thanks for starting the AAR, I have been waiting to see something posted for this course. I am REALLY choked that I wasn't able to make this one. I am hoping Larry will make it back to Washington State to run the same course in 2012. I look forward to seeing the pics!

8th
09-01-11, 12:28
I have been too busy to get anything put up, but as usual Larry didn't disappoint. Heck even if all I got out of the class was trigger time with my mistakes being pointed out an corrected then it would be money well spent. I have gone through two of Larry's pistol classes so at this point a lot of the day one drills weren't a huge surprise to me. Of course there were some tweaks to them for the 1911, but nothing really different. I did notice that we spent more time at longer ranges and that the overall skill level was a bit higher then usual. I did get corrected on a couple of issues I had, and also have a clearer understanding of a few things. The second day was MONEY. I have bumbled through taking apart my 1911 over the years, but now I have complete confidence in doing it and have a clear understanding of what I need to look for and more importantly what to see. I was raised on the 1911 and took a 3 year hiatus with first a G17 then an M&P9, but at the begining of the year switched back to the 1911. I don't anticipate switching again. As a result for me it was mandatory to get into this class and really learn that it takes from me to run one. The availability of this class close to me was a huge factor in my switching back to the 1911 this year. So a big thanks to Scimitar for hosting it. If you think you want to run a 1911 or do run a 1911, in my opinion, this class is a requirement, and that is coming from someone with years on the 1911 as a civilian user.

While Okanagan is a bit of a drive from anywhere the facilities and hosting where first class and I wouldn't hesitate to take another class up there. Oh if it is during the summer bring and/or drink plenty of fluids. It was damn hot, and that certainly impacted the tempo of the class and performance throughout the day. Staying hydrated was a key.

Hapainwa
09-01-11, 14:52
Thanks Scimitar for getting Larry out here in WA state. After reading many AAR's of Vickers Tac classes, I was stoked to be finally be heading to one, and I'm hoping to get to OR for more classes next year.

I've got about 10 pages of notes that I could go through, but Scimitar has really hit the high points. The drills were great but the one that he named as being, "worth the price of admission" was EXACTLY THAT. I've run it with one of our shooters here, with the appropriate credit to Mr. Vickers (like anyone was going to think I dreamed up something that good anyway.), and he was floored with the simplicity and directness in the way it attacks the problem. (HOLY F**KEN SHIT!" was the actual response from the shooter after he shot the drill, and he's now getting signed up for the OR class too)

Breaking down the gun was no biggie for me, but the details Mr. Vickers brought to light were MONEY! Ya, the classroom portion alone was worth it for me, and the shooting was just icing on the cake. The live fire reassembly test was money too.

Now I will say that Mr. Vickers teaching style isn't for everyone, but I didn't mind one bit AND it's actually quite refreshing to see such candor and straight answers. The dudes I work with that are looking at the OR class, will love the teaching style and sense of humor. (Hitting the wall like Princess --, awsome....)

I'm was stoked that I have a drill to help me with my reset-in-recoil troubles. After nearly a year, I'm still not 100% comfortable with my response under stress, but I'm slowly getting there and this drill will help.

I've also dropped about $150 in 1911 parts since I've been back, to address some of the things that were fubar in the class. (The big ol' ghost rear sight is going away on this gun too.)

Hmmmmm............I can't really say that anything was remotely screwed up in this class. Great students, some that had been to VT classes before and some kinda new to a 1911 platform. Nobody with safety issues, which always makes a class hellish, and everyone had great attitudes and were willing to learn. Oh yea, and the food that was brought in was great too.

I just wish I had tapped into this class 15 or 20 years ago when I started shooting handguns more seriously. It would have saved me A METRIT TON of time trying to figgure stuff out. Ya, it's the old story of wishing I what I know now, back then. For any young Mil/LEOs that are wishing to get their shooting off on the right foot, SIGN UP FOR ONE OF VICKER'S CLASSES NOW! It will save you a lot of ****en time and headache to start off with the RIGHT mechanics. Now I'm just starting to get on my soap box, so I'll step off now before I get carried away.

Thanks again to Scimitar and Mr. Vickers for a great class, and hope to see a VT class on the 2012 schedule, just not in August...

Limey-
09-02-11, 03:14
(Hitting the wall like Princess --, awsome....)



Hey that was the Carbine Class:D

Bourneshooter
09-02-11, 19:28
Hey that was the Carbine Class:D

I'm working on the Carbine AAR. Just getting photos uploaded so I can post them - maybe tomorrow if I don't have to busy a night at work.

Scimitar2
09-02-11, 20:06
Link to Carbine 1 AAR here-

http://m4carbine.net/showthread.php?p=1091353#post1091353

Limey-
09-03-11, 20:24
I'm working on the Carbine AAR. Just getting photos uploaded so I can post them - maybe tomorrow if I don't have to busy a night at work.

Anyone Bueller.........

Scimitar2
09-03-11, 22:42
On the line-

http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/3829/img4083o.jpg
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Larry stalking the line looking for less than perfect accuracy / technique –

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Larry demonstrating SOM-

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/4177/img3762c.jpg

In the classroom learning how NOBODY does everything up to Larry’s standards with a 1911-

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To protect his PERSEC, he denied it, but “Demo Dick” Marchinco attended the class. Here is the photographic proof-

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/6809/img4095i.jpg

Class photo-

http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/354/img4100q.jpg

Hapainwa
09-04-11, 01:20
Thanks for getting the pic online S2! Good to see ya on here too Limey. Hope to see y'all next year.

Reliance Arms
09-05-11, 14:05
Okanogan County S.O. did a great job hosting the class. Superb hospitality all the way around. They assisted with discounts at local hotels, recommended places to eat, and catered lunches at the range. It's a drive, but we highly recommend it to anyone who is interested.

As usual in the shooting community, all the students got along well and quickly developed a fun rapport. Everyone was excellent on safety and everyone had good information to share.

The Larry Vickers' 1911 Operator course was outstanding. Larry Vickers is an extremely knowledgeable instructor. He is candid, to the point, and backs up all of his philosophies with an outstanding resume of experience.

We really enjoyed the armorer's portion where we did an armorer level strip of the 1911s. We learned how to diagnose function problems, what to look for, and the re-assembly process. We feel much more comfortable in our ability to tune and keep the 1911s in top operating condition.

We highly recommend any of Larry's classes, but if you are a 1911 enthusiast or considering purchasing one, the Vickers 1911 Operators course is a must.

Dave and Alisa Clifford
http://www.RelianceArms.com